Chapter Six
“Fish.” Rose shrieked, pressing her face against the kitchen window. “The big man brought fish.”
Rudy glanced up from helping Timothy tie his shoes - a process that somehow involved more knots than any shoe should require - and squinted through the glass.
Sure enough, Sobek’s black car sat in the driveway, and the man himself stood on the porch holding what looked like a cooler.
It was the third visit in a week, not that Rudy was counting.
“Let him in, Rose, but do not - and I mean do not - climb on him like a jungle gym.” Rudy pointed at her sternly. “We talked about this.”
Rose bounded to the door, Jack right behind her.
Timothy abandoned his half-tied shoe and scrambled after them, scales flickering across his forearms before disappearing.
Rudy grabbed the moisturizer from the coffee table and followed at a more sedate pace, mentally preparing himself for another hour of trying not to stare at Sobek’s biceps.
He was failing spectacularly at that particular goal…
much like the painting in the living room, which still wasn’t finished.
Rose flung the door open. “You came back.”
“I did.” Sobek’s deep voice rumbled through the entryway. “I brought catfish, freshly caught this morning.”
“From your pond?” Jack peered into the cooler with interest.
“From the bayou beyond it.”
Timothy reached up, making grabby hands until Sobek crouched down to his level. The little boy touched the cooler carefully, then beamed up at Sobek with an expression of pure joy that made Rudy’s heart do something complicated in his chest.
“Hey.” Rudy appeared in the doorway, very deliberately not noticing how Sobek’s black shirt stretched across his shoulders. “You know you don’t have to keep bringing us things, right? Not that I’m complaining about fresh fish because holy crap, that’s amazing, but seriously. You’ve done enough.”
Sobek straightened, and Rudy had to tilt his head back to meet those dark, intense eyes. “I caught too many. It would be wasteful to let it spoil.”
“Uh-huh.” Rudy crossed his arms, fighting a smile. “And last time it was ‘the vegetables from the market were on sale,’ and before that it was ‘I wanted to check that the kids understood water safety.’”
“All true statements.”
“I’m not arguing.” Rudy stepped back, gesturing Sobek inside. “But I’m starting to think you just like hanging around three feral children and their disaster of a guardian.”
Something flickered in Sobek’s expression - too fast for Rudy to catch - before the man nodded once. “It could be that, too.”
Rudy’s heart did that flutter thing again. He ignored it and ushered everyone toward the kitchen, where the breakfast dishes still cluttered the sink, and Timothy’s flour handprints decorated the counter from their earlier baking attempt.
“Sorry about the mess.” Rudy grabbed the dish towel, swiping halfheartedly at the flour. “We made muffins. Well, we attempted muffins. The jury’s still out on whether they’re edible.”
Sobek set the cooler on the table, apparently unbothered by the mess. Rose immediately tried to climb onto the table to investigate, but Sobek caught her around the waist and deposited her on the floor.
“After lunch,” he told her firmly.
Rose pouted but didn’t argue, which was frankly miraculous. Rudy had never seen anyone besides himself successfully tell Rose “no” without triggering a full-scale tantrum.
“How do you do that?” Rudy stared at Sobek. “Seriously, teach me your ways. She spent twenty minutes this morning arguing that pants were optional.”
“Pants are optional,” Rose announced.
“Not in this house, they’re not.” Rudy pointed at her. “Something else we’ve discussed repeatedly.”
Jack snickered. Timothy climbed onto a chair, watching Sobek with rapt attention as the man opened the cooler to reveal four enormous catfish on ice.
“Whoa.” Rudy moved closer, genuinely impressed. “Those are huge. And gorgeous. I mean…as far as fish go. Which sounds weird, but they really are beautiful.”
He was babbling. Stop babbling.
Sobek’s mouth twitched - not quite a smile, but close. “They’re good eating. I can prepare them if you’d like.”
“You cook too?” Rudy pressed his hand to his chest. “Be still my heart. A man who catches fish and knows how to clean them? That’s basically a superpower.”
“I’ve had practice.”
“I’ll bet.” Rudy grabbed plates from the cabinet, then paused.
“Wait, have you eaten lunch yet? Because I was about to heat up leftover mac and cheese for the kids, but if you’re staying, I can make something better.
Not that my mac and cheese isn’t spectacular, because it is.
It comes from a box, but I add extra butter, so obviously it’s gourmet.
But I could probably scrounge up an actual meal if you give me ten minutes and don’t judge the state of my fridge. ”
Sobek watched him with that intense focus that made Rudy’s skin prickle. “I would like to stay. If that’s acceptable.”
“Acceptable? Dude, you brought fish. You can stay forever if you want.”
The words hung in the air a beat too long. Rudy felt his cheeks heat and turned quickly toward the fridge, mentally kicking himself. Forever. Real smooth, Rudy. Why don’t you just propose while you’re at it?
“Mac and cheese,” Jack announced, apparently oblivious to Rudy’s internal crisis. “With hot dogs.”
“Hot dogs it is.” Rudy pulled out the leftover container, grateful for the distraction. “Sobek, do you want the full kid-friendly experience, or should I make you something that didn’t come from a box?”
“I’ll eat whatever you’re serving.”
Rudy glanced over his shoulder. Sobek had moved to the sink and started washing the dishes without being asked, his large hands oddly careful with the ceramic plates.
Timothy dragged a chair over beside him, climbed onto it, and was haphazardly drying each piece with a dish towel that dragged on the floor.
Oh, my gods, he’s a parenting god. Rudy felt as though he wanted to swoon.
He’d been raising the kids alone for so long - every meal, every bath time, every midnight crisis when one of the kids woke up crying.
Having someone else just...step in, help without being asked, and exist in his space without making it feel crowded...
Rudy swallowed hard and focused on the mac and cheese.
/~/~/~/~/
Lunch was its usual chaos. Rose knocked over her juice twice, Jack told an incredibly detailed story about a beetle he’d found that morning, and Timothy mostly stared at Sobek while eating exactly three bites of hot dog and nothing else.
“Tim, buddy, you gotta eat more than that.” Rudy pointed his fork at Timothy’s plate. “At least try the mac and cheese. I added extra cheese for you.”
Timothy shook his head, still watching Sobek.
Sobek studied the little boy, then pushed his own plate slightly toward him. “Try mine.”
Timothy immediately reached over and grabbed a hot dog piece from Sobek’s plate, shoving it in his mouth.
“Oh, come on.” Rudy laughed. “That’s the same thing I gave you.”
“It probably tastes better from Sobek’s plate.” Jack giggled.
“Apparently.” Rudy shook his head, although he didn’t stop smiling. “Fine. Whatever gets food in him.”
Sobek said nothing, but he kept shifting his plate closer to Timothy throughout the meal, letting the little boy steal bites while pretending not to notice. By the end, Timothy had eaten more than Rudy had seen him consume in days.
After lunch, while Rudy loaded the dishwasher, Sobek started on the fish. He worked at the kitchen counter, cleaning and filleting with movements that suggested he knew what he was doing. The kids clustered around him like ducklings, asking questions in their disjointed way.
“Why’s it so slimy?”
“Does it hurt the fish?”
“Can I touch it?”
Sobek answered each question patiently, his deep voice rumbling through the kitchen. When Rose reached for the knife, he caught her hand gently but firmly.
“This blade is sharp. You may watch, but you must stay back.”
Miracle of miracles, Rose did as she was told.
Rudy leaned against the counter, dish towel in hand, and just...watched. Sobek’s hands moved with confidence, strong and sure. His shirt stretched across his shoulders with each movement, and Rudy caught himself staring at the shift of muscle beneath the fabric before jerking his gaze away.
Get it together, Crisp. He’s just being nice. Don’t make it weird by ogling him like a teenager.
“You’re really good at that,” Rudy said, aiming for casual. “The fish thing. Do you cook a lot?”
“When I’m near water.” Sobek glanced up briefly. “I prefer fresh ingredients.”
“Must be nice. My cooking skills peak at ‘add butter and hope for the best.’” Rudy grinned. “Though I can make a mean grilled cheese. It’s my signature dish.”
“I’d like to try it sometime.”
The words were simple, neutral even, but something in Sobek’s tone made Rudy’s pulse skip.
“Yeah?” Rudy fiddled with the dish towel. “I mean, sure. Anytime. You’re always welcome here. Obviously. Since you keep showing up and I keep letting you in like some kind of...person who lets people in. Which I am. Clearly.”
Stop talking. Please, for the love of everything holy, stop talking.
Sobek’s mouth curved - a real smile this time. “I appreciate that.”
Rudy’s heart did a full gymnastics routine in his chest. I’ve got it bad.
/~/~/~/~/
By the time Sobek finished preparing the fish, neatly wrapped fillets in the fridge for later, with instructions on how to cook them, it was mid-afternoon.
The kids had migrated to the living room for “quiet time,” which in practice meant Jack read a picture book out loud while Rose built block towers and Timothy dozed on the couch.
Rudy walked Sobek to the door, very aware of how much taller the man was, how his presence seemed to fill the space without being oppressive.
“Thanks for the fish. And for cleaning it. And for basically doing half my chores today without being asked.” Rudy shoved his hands in his pockets. “You really didn’t have to do any of that.”
“I wanted to.”
“Yeah, but why?” Rudy tilted his head, genuinely curious. “Not that I’m complaining, but you’ve been showing up here almost every day for a week, helping with kids who aren’t yours, dealing with bedlam that would send most people running. What’s in it for you?”
Sobek was quiet for a long moment, his dark eyes searching Rudy’s face. “I like being here.”
“With three feral children and their disaster guardian?”
“Yes.”
Something in the way Sobek said it made Rudy’s breath catch.
“Well.” Rudy rocked back on his heels, fighting the urge to smile like an idiot. “Good. Because the kids really like you. Especially Timothy. I’ve never seen him take to someone so fast.”
“And you?”
The question hung in the air. Rudy blinked up at Sobek, caught off guard by the sudden intensity in the man’s expression.
“Do I like you?” Rudy laughed, a little breathless. “Yeah. Yeah, I really do.”
Sobek nodded once, as if Rudy had confirmed something important. “Good.”
He left without another word, climbing into his black car and driving away while Rudy stood on the porch like an idiot, watching until the vehicle disappeared around the bend.
Once inside, Timothy appeared at Rudy’s elbow, clutching his stuffed alligator.
“He’ll come back,” Timothy whispered.
Rudy looked down at his smallest, quietest child and ruffled his dark hair. “Yeah, buddy. I think he will.”
And that thought - the certainty that Sobek would return, that this wasn’t just temporary kindness but something more - terrified and thrilled Rudy in equal measures.
He’d been alone for what felt like forever, just him and the kids against the world. Having someone else step into that space, someone who looked at Rudy’s erratic household and chose to stay anyway...
Rudy pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heart beat too fast beneath his palm.
“Come on, Tim. Let’s go see what destruction your siblings are causing.”